


call the shot (and i'll take it)

by misura



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, August Walker Joins Team Ethan, M/M, still a little psycho but not actually a terrorist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:51:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: "What, you think I get into a two-against-one knife fight to the death for just anyone?""I think you enjoyed it," Ethan says, which is true. "Maybe a little too much."





	call the shot (and i'll take it)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kototyph](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kototyph/gifts).



The first time they fuck is in Prague - August has just taken out two assassins who may or may not have been there for a purpose relevant to their mission, but the point is: wrong time, wrong place, and better safe than sorry. It's not like anyone is going to so much as file an official complaint.

Unofficial complaints, now - well, there's Ethan, more or less losing his shit.

August would like to tell himself he hasn't seen this coming, that if he feels anything at all, it's annoyance at these children, running around playing trick-or-treat and then whining when someone breaks the pinata to make the candy pour out.

"You had no right." Ethan has him shoved up against a wall.

They're by themselves, which August takes to mean Ethan has told the rest of his group of boy scouts to go and take a hike. That's good. August can work with that.

"I had a shot, I took it," August says. There's no one in the CIA with whom he'd be having this conversation. In the CIA, you might get fired or you might get terminated or you might get punished, but you're not going get shoved against a wall and yelled at. That's just unprofessional.

August sort of likes it. He feels he could get used to being part of a team like that.

"They were potential assets," Ethan says. "They were _not_ part of the mission."

"They still aren't," August says, mostly to push Ethan a little further.

Getting Ethan to hit him would be a victory. Leverage, August thinks. Ethan doesn't go around losing his temper and hitting people on his team. It doesn't fit with his self-image, like taking out assassins before they can become a problem.

"Look," he goes on, "this is what I do. You don't like it, too bad."

"As long as you're part of _my_ team, you do things _my_ way," Ethan says. "Is that clear?"

August smirks. The wall's very solid against his back. "Sure thing, Hunt." Ethan relaxes, starts backing even, so he adds, "I kill 'em, you tell everyone you didn't give the order."

That one's a definite hit. For a moment, August thinks he's gone too far, but then Ethan slams him back against the wall, like he's planned this, like his previous movement was only meant to lull August into a false sense of security.

"Careful," August says. "Don't want to give me too many bruises, do you? People might talk."

From the expression on Ethan's face, August isn't the only one who's been considering the potential of their current situation.

"Shut up," Ethan says. "You - just shut up."

August decides that this order, like 90% of the orders that come out of Ethan's mouth, is probably safe to ignore. It's liberating, addictive almost, to work with a team like this, where arguing and disobeying orders almost seems normal, because they're all doing it, all the time, except in those moments when they're not, and then they save the world.

"It was the smart call to make, and you know it," he says. "You want to be an asshole about it, be my guest. But, please, let's not act like hypocrites. These were bad men. They got what they deserved."

"That's not your call to make," Ethan says, but he sounds calmer, more in control of himself.

"I hold the gun, I make the call," August says. "What are you going to do about it?"

"You want to stay on this team, you might want to at least try to follow orders," Ethan says. "I don't need a guy on my team who can't keep it in his pants."

August does want to stay on the team, actually. He doesn't give a crap about the IMF or the CIA, but he knows he prefers Ethan over Sloane. Hunley seems a hands-off kind of guy, which suits August fine.

"Fine," he says. "My bad. I'm sorry. I'll do better next time." Maybe try and do a better job hiding the bodies, although Ethan seems to keep pretty close tabs on all his team members. August suspects he's doing it in case any of them get in trouble and need Ethan to come and save their asses, which is both sickeningly sweet and a little inconvenient.

"That easy, huh?" Ethan shakes his head.

August can tell Ethan wants to believe. Believe that it really is that easy, that deep down inside, August's a nice guy, waiting for someone to tell him that it's possible to save the world while _staying_ a nice guy. That if you put the lives of your friends and team members before the mission, it will all work out, because the world is full of rainbows and sunshine and unicorns.

"I'm not actually trying to give you a hard time, you know," August says. "I like you. What, you think I get into a two-against-one knifefight to the death for just anyone?"

"I think you enjoyed it," Ethan says, which is true. "Maybe a little too much."

Working for the CIA, figuring out how to get ahead, to stay on top: those things are complicated. Killing people is simple. August happens to be good at it, too.

"Maybe I did," he says. "Doesn't mean I don't like you or also enjoy having you be mad at me."

"You are going to be a lot of work," Ethan says. " _If_ you stay."

August smiles at him. "Wasn't planning on going anywhere right this moment. How about you?"

 

After Prague there's Tokyo, and San Francisco and a small village in Guatemala, and August sticks around and tries to think of someone he knows in Records who owes him a favor and might be willing to slip his file to the IMF, or mark him as 'indefinitely on loan' or something like that.

He kills a bunch of people, none of them innocent, nearly all of them resulting in another blistering lecture by Ethan, followed by equally blistering sex, which isn't really encouraging August to stop.

August figures that maybe Ethan doesn't want him to stop.

 

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Ethan tells him.

August has managed to lock the two of them in some utility closet after being interrupted in the middle of a snoop-don't-shoot mission. He feels he deserves some recognition for sticking to the parameters, but maybe Ethan's working up to that, using the logic that actions speak louder than words.

"Really?" August wriggles about a bit, to let Ethan know he's there and that the two of them are currently in extremely close physical proximity. "I think it's rather cozy."

"I guess at least you haven't killed anyone," Ethan says. "Yet."

"Night's still young," August agrees. "I might get bored."

"Did you just call me boring?"

"Hey. If the shoe fits." August mentally maps the office, the building and their relative position when it comes to cover and the guards. Assuming Ethan handles his fair share, it should be perfectly doable.

"You saved Benji's life last week," Ethan says.

August prefers to think of it as his having beaten Ethan and possibly Benji himself to the kill.

"Guess you're beginning to settle in, huh?" Ethan asks. "And you're - what? Scared?"

"Excuse me?" August says. "Want me to go out there and show you how scared I am?"

Ethan groans. "Sorry. That was - bad choice of words."

"I dare say."

Ethan keeps quiet for a few moments. "You're not a bad guy to have around, Walker. I mean, you're an asshole and you're way too trigger-happy and possily psychotic, but I like you and I think you could have a future with this team and the IMF."

"Seriously, Hunt. Worst recruitment speech ever. Also, completely superfluous."

"Well, now I just feel like an idiot," Ethan says. August can tell he's smiling, the way Ethan smiles at any member of his team when they've done something exceptionally good or smart, such as their job.

"Maybe you should stop talking."

"What would you suggest I do instead? And don't say we should go out there and kill everyone."

"You really are a killjoy, Hunt. A spoilsport. A - "

Ethan gets the hint. Getting their pants off, or at least out of the way takes a little longer, given the lack of visibilty, but they manage it eventually, at which point August is willing to admit that there might be something to the IMF's way of doing things after all.


End file.
